


Raijin Sukeban

by OriharaInfobroker



Category: Durarara!!
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Drugs, F/F, Genderbending, Girl Gangs, Raijin - Freeform, Raijin Gakuen, Sex, Sexual Assault, Shoujo-ai, Sukeban, Violence, dark themes, domestic abuse, potentially triggering content, wlw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-02-13 10:34:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21492898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OriharaInfobroker/pseuds/OriharaInfobroker
Summary: Genderbend AU with badass Awakusu girls in High School. The Shoujo story you didn't know you wanted... XDHonestly never thought I'd be writing a high school girl's story... But here we are.This story has a lot of dark themes and potentially triggering situations. Please be aware before you continue. Don't worry, there will be a happy ending.Note for clarity: Raijin Gakuen covers both junior and senior high. The Awakusu girls are seniors in high school (Grade 12) and Izaya is in her last year of junior high (Grade 9).Note on names: some characters' names have been altered to be more in line with them being girls. The most prominent of changes is Izaya, whom I have renamed Rinya based on the obscure fact that his parents had chosen that name as a back up if the reading of 'Izaya' was not approved.
Relationships: Orihara Izaya/Shiki Haruya
Comments: 6
Kudos: 24





	1. Raijin Gakuen

**Author's Note:**

  * For [drx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/drx/gifts).

The first day of Haruka's senior year was unseasonably cold but the cherry blossoms were in full bloom and the air was filled with that mixture of anxiety and exuberance which always came with the start of a new school year. She lingered near the gate, waiting for her girls to arrive, early as usual. A smoke dangled from her lips as she coolly gazed at the passing students, many new faces mingling with the familiar. 

"Haru-chan!" She turned her gaze to settle on the pretty redhead who was calling her name, exhaling a puff of smoke in an exasperated sigh at the overly familiar way Mizuki addressed her. 

Mizuki made her way to the gate, followed by a boy from their class who was carrying her school bag and holding her coffee cup. Haruka settled her icy gaze on the boy and he immediately cowered a bit. 

"How many times do I have to tell you not to address me that way?" She scolded Mizuki but the redhead just grinned back at her. 

"You waited for me? How sweet, Haru-chan." Mizuki replied, taking her things from the boy so that he could properly flee in terror. 

"Tch. I was just finishing my smoke." Haruka replied. 

Mizuki opened her mouth to respond but any words she might have spoken were drowned out by the much louder sound of Shu. 

"What the FUCK did you just say?" Her voice rang out across the distance. The students parted, giving Mizuki and Haruka a clear view of the imposing figure that was their classmate, staring down another girl, her kendo shinai resting on her shoulder. 

"N-nothing, Aozaki-san…" The girl replied, backing away from the taller girl. 

"That's what I thought." Shu barked at the girl who quickly scurried off with her friends, sending fearful glances backward. 

"First day and you're already picking fights, Shu?" Mizuki taunted. 

"Shut up. I saw you flirting with that junior earlier, getting him to carry your shit for you." Shu replied as she joined them by the gate. 

"And what's wrong with that? He offered, after all."

"Stop leading them on. You should hear the rumours the other girls spread about you."

Mizuki smirked and rolled her eyes. "As if I care what they're saying."

"Yeah, you don't care about anything except having fun."

"And you don't care about anything except getting into fights." Mizuki countered. 

"Haruka-san, you're being watched." A quiet yet distinct voice cut through the other girls' bickering. Haruka glanced at Taka, the slender, bookish girl that had attached herself to Haruka in their first year. Following her gaze, Haruka's eyes landed on a pretty girl standing near the gate, distinct red eyes watching them with obvious interest. 

"A junior?" Haruka asked. 

"Mm. Her name is Rinya." Taka supplied the answer. 

"What an odd name." Haruka mused before dropping the butt of her cigarette and crushing it beneath the toe of her definitely-not-dress code stilettos. "The bell will be ringing soon." She turned and made her way into the schoolyard, flanked by Mizuki and Shu, while Taka trailed a bit behind them. 

Rinya watched the girls walking away, clutching the handle of her school bag in excitement. Finally, a chance to meet some interesting people! 

~

“I don't know how she won." 

"I heard she's dating the president."

"Probably. She seems like the type to sleep her way to the top."

"I don't know why Mizuki hangs out with her."

"I heard her father was yakuza, is it true?" 

"Oh yeah, it's true. Did you see the car that dropped her off this morning?" 

Rinya listened to the chatter of the other girls in her class with curiosity, wanting to know more about the pretty girl she'd seen standing by the gate. Haruka Shiki, Student Council Vice President, straight-A student, unquestionably eye-catching with the presence of an ice queen. The rumours that followed her were varied, unconfirmed, and seemed to grow each time Rinya heard one. For as many nasty rumours were being spread, there were girls who were in awe of her and Rinya had to admit she was one. 

Haruka's gang - and there was no question they were a gang - were just as interesting as their leader. 

Mizuki Akabayashi was, by rumour, either kind-hearted, looking after the other girls in school, or the biggest slut in Ikebukuro. She served as Student Council Secretary in theory but more often than not could be seen cutting class to hang out at the nearby burger joint and flirt with her admirers, of which she seemed to have many. It made sense; she was pretty, easy-going and friendly, always smiling and laughing, but Rinya couldn’t help wonder if she wasn’t hiding something behind that pleasant demeanour.

Shu Aozaki was the school’s most promising athlete and in charge of the Student Council Disciplinary Committee. There wasn’t a sport she couldn’t play, though her favourite appeared to be kendo. When she wasn’t running laps on the track or in kendo practice, she was usually picking fights, or so the rumours said. Rinya had heard a different side, though, that Shu was getting into fights to protect other girls. That she’d even laid out some boy who tried to get handsy with a girl. Yet somehow this loud and brash girl was dating Miyu Kawashima.

Miyu was tiny, blonde, and had more optimism than Rinya felt anyone should rightly have. She was always smiling cheerfully, arm linked in Shu’s as she talked enough for the two of them. Two people more different probably couldn’t be found in Raijin. Rumour said Shu had protected Miyu from some bullies and they’d been inseparable ever since.

The last of Haruka’s girls was Taka Kazamoto, the school’s resident nerd. She served as Student Council Treasurer, a position that afforded her power over the budgets the school clubs received. She also ran a very profitable tutoring business on the side and was surprisingly popular. Rinya suspected that at least some of that popularity came from the power she held but some of it sounded like genuine admiration. 

It was difficult to separate truth from rumour without getting closer to them so that’s exactly what Rinya was going to do. She continued to write the bits of gossip she overheard in her notebook, a slight smirk on her lips. 

"Rin-chan!" Her bespectacled friend Shinra leaned over her shoulder. "What are you writing? Class hasn't even started yet."

"Observations on my subjects," Rinya replied, quickly closing the notebook so Shinra couldn't see. "Shinra, I've decided. I want to be class rep this year."

"Whaaat? Really? I didn't think you were interested in student government Rin!" Shinra exclaimed, taking a seat in the desk beside her. 

"I think it's a good opportunity for observation. We'll be in high school next year, after all."

"Everyone else thinks it's a chore so I doubt you'll have competition. You know they don't actually listen to us juniors most of the time, right?" 

"That's fine. I just want to observe anyway," Rinya replied with a smirk. 

"You should get more money for the biology club!" Shinra proposed, adjusting her glasses. 

Rinya snorted. "I really don't think that will work. There's only two of us. Barely a club at all."

"Oh, but if we had a bigger budget we could buy this new microscope I was reading about…" Shinra replied wistfully and Rinya rolled her eyes. 

"The treasurer is a nerd like you, maybe she'll actually agree."

"Yaaaay!" Shinra exclaimed as the teacher stepped in. 

"Kishitani-san, I'm glad to see you're so excited to be back in class." He observed, earning a round of chuckles from the students. "Now, if you'll take your seats, I'll be doing attendance."

Rinya tucked her notebook into her school bag and turned her attention to the inevitably boring lessons, counting down the minutes to freedom so that she could resume her observations.

~

The Student Council office could be found on the third floor of the Raijin High School building if one was interested in finding it. Which, of course, most students had no interest in. Raijin's students weren't known for their interest in governance, nor even in academics. In fact, the only thing Raijin was known for was the delinquency of its students, something it seemed Principal Dougen Awakusu had long since given up on trying to combat. Instead, he relied on his son and the student council to keep the students in line, something of a failed endeavour until Haruka had taken over as Vice President. 

Having the most feared girl gang in the school effectively take over the student government was a surefire way to force the worst students in line. It didn't help the school's reputation but it did minimize the worst of the violence when the students had to contemplate whether or not they'd be getting a visit from the terrifying head of the Disciplinary Committee, or be called into the Student Council office to face down the unfailingly polite yet terrifyingly cold Vice President. 

Though there were some who enjoyed finding their way to her office for other reasons. Haruka stared over the rim of her designer frames at the boy sitting across from her, nervously counting bills onto the desk. "You're a junior, yes?" 

"Yes, Shiki-san." The boy admitted, pushing the money toward her.

Haruka took the bills and counted them. "Seems this isn't the first time you've done this." She observed as she tucked the money into an envelope and made a note in her ledger. 

"N-no Shiki-san. There's a small betting pool in the junior high." He confessed nervously. 

"Is that so? Why come to me, then?" 

"Well, I… Uh…" He stumbled over his words. "I'm not allowed to bet in that pool anymore."

Haruka arched a brow. "Oh? And why is that?" 

"The bookie doesn't like me…" The junior lied and Haruka smirked. 

"How unfortunate. What did you say your name was?" 

"Nakura."

"Well, Nakura, their loss is my gain. The payout for winners is on Friday."

"Thank you Shiki-san." The junior bowed then retreated. 

"Juniors are gambling now?" Mizuki observed from her spot on the couch where she had been reading the latest issue of _KERA_.

"In this school? Not that surprising." Mikiya spoke from the opposite couch where he had been lazing. 

"Curious that he isn't allowed to bet any more." Haruka mused. "I wonder what he did."

"You could ask this junior bookie," Mizuki suggested. 

"Don’t know who he is.” Mikiya pointed out, earning an eye roll from Haruka.

“I’ll find out,” Mizuki replied with a grin. “A couple of my girls are juniors. I’ll ask them what they know.”

“Sounds pointless.” Mikiya continued, oblivious to the look the two girls were sharing.

~

"Aozaki-san, welcome back." Coach Sharaku greeted his star pupil with a smile that turned into a frown at the sight of a faded bruise on her cheek. "You haven't been fighting again, have you?" He asked sternly. 

Shu shook her head as she stepped onto the mat and bowed to her coach. "No, sir. Just an accident at home while I was helping my mother move some things."

Coach Sharaku's frown deepened at the convenient excuse but returned the bow then waved Shu over to join the other students in warm-up stretches. He'd seen the girl sporting far too many bruises over the years with convenient excuses of clumsiness that were never evident when she was engaged in the many sports she played. She wasn't the only girl he'd seen over the years, wearing the same signs of abuse at home but she was the only one who didn't bother trying to hide it beneath makeup and clothing. 

"Before we get to practice, many of you are graduating this year. As usual, we will be recruiting on club day from the first years but more importantly, you third years need to focus on your entrance exams for college. If you’re interested in continuing into professional sports, there are several universities in Tokyo that offer substantial scholarships for martial achievements. As such, I will be posting the tournament list for the spring term. Please come to me if you wish to compete.” 

Though the announcement was made to the entire club, Coach Sharaku’s gaze settled on Shu, giving the girl an encouraging smile. Shu caught his gaze and grinned in return. “Coach, I definitely want to participate.” She announced without hesitation. “I’ll win those scholarships!”

“Hey Aozaki-san, don’t hog the spotlight!” Eijirou, Coach Sharaku’s son piped up with a laugh. “You’re not the only one who wants a scholarship!”

“You want it, you can fight me for it,” Shu responded and the rest of the kendo club laughed.

“That’s the spirit,” Coach Sharaku encouraged. “Now let’s see how much you forgot over the break. Pair off and start with the basic drills.”

~

"Kazamoto-chan, thank you so much!" The second-year student held out an envelope, smiling brightly at her. "Thanks to the help you gave me for finals last year I was able to pull my mark up enough to get into B class."

"Congratulations," Taka replied, taking the envelope with a smile that seemed perfectly genuine and a little bit shy. If it didn't quite brighten her eyes the way a smile should, well no one ever really noticed. She tucked the envelope into her school bag, knowing that it would contain the tutoring fee his parents had been paying. "Sounds like a celebration is in order." She dropped the suggestion with calculated shyness, waiting for him to take the hint. 

"Oh, you're right!" He replied on cue. "Let me take you for dinner to thank you." The offer was so adorably genuine it made Taka smile in delight, though it was for how easily she had manipulated him not the invitation. 

"That's such a kind offer. I'd love to go for dinner with you. I heard there's a new cafe by the park. Would you like to go there?" 

"If you think it's good, then I'm interested." The boy agreed without a second thought. 

She slipped her arm in his, causing him to blush a bit at the unexpected show of affection. He drew himself up a little taller, chest puffed out with pride as she led him away from the school." Tell me about your break." She encouraged as they walked. "Did you do anything interesting?" 

He was more than happy to babble to her all the way to the cafe and all the way through dinner. Taka was content to listen to him, occasionally guiding the conversation and picking up all sorts of information on the second years. 

As they stood outside the cafe, Taka gave the boy a flirty smile, leaning in close as she spoke. "Would you like to come over?" She asked, gazing up at him with wide eyes. "My parents won't be home from work until later."

The look of surprise on his face was quickly followed by one of excitement, though he tried to hide it. "Would that- That is, if you want me to, I'd certainly like that." He managed to reply without stuttering too much. 

"Yes, I'm certain you will." She replied with a giggle. "I hope you'll make sure I like it too." She slid her arm through his again, leading him toward her house. 

"Yes!" He assured her with a vigorous nod of his head. "Of course, Kazamoto-chan." She giggled again at his response, giving him a coy smile. 


	2. Family By Blood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This hurt my heart. T_T

"Bye Mizuki!" Miyu happily waved to the redhead as they parted ways a few blocks from the school. 

"Don't forget the student council meeting tomorrow with the new class reps." Mizuki reminded Miyu and Shu with a casual wave as she turned away and began walking toward her apartment building. It was a rundown building that had been around since the 70s and clearly showed its age. The landlord barely lifted a finger in upkeep but the rent was cheap so no one bothered to complain unless there was a serious problem because the tenants were the sort that really didn't have many options. 

Mizuki shared the tiny shithole apartment with her mother and a stray cat she had taken to feeding in the hopes that its presence would keep the rats away. It seemed to be working so she continued to feed the cat despite her mother's loud complaints that she was wasting food. Her mother worked evenings mostly, serving at a barely-legal host club where Mizuki was sure a great deal more than conversation was being purchased. The one time she'd been stupid enough to ask her mother about it, she'd gotten a bottle thrown at her. Later she'd heard her mother crying and that was answer enough. 

Mizuki loved her mother when she wasn't drowning in a bottle of whatever cheap liquor happened to be on sale that week. When she was drowning her sorrows in booze, well, she wasn't very likeable. Not that she blamed her mother for wanting to escape the shitty hand life had dealt but she had a tendency to alternately blame Mizuki for everything or burst into tears and apologize for not being a good mother. 

Mizuki climbed the stairs reluctantly, knowing that there was nothing waiting for her, just an empty apartment and if she was lucky, the stray cat might be hanging around. As she unlocked her door, another door down the hall opened and a head popped out to look at her. 

"Mizuki-chan!" A young girl called. "Mom says come over for dinner! She wants to thank you for babysitting us over the break." 

Mizuki smiled at the girl, giving her a wave. "I'll be over in a bit. Need to put my school bag away."

"Okay. A friend at school lent me a game. Do you wanna play with me after dinner?" 

"Yeah, sure," Mizuki replied. "But just for a little while, okay?" 

"Okay, onee-chan!" The girl replied happily. Mizuki entered the empty apartment with a sigh, tossing her bag in her closet-sized bedroom then crossed the hall. She hovered in front of the door, hesitant to enter even though this wasn't the first time the neighbours had invited her over for dinner as thanks for babysitting. Mizuki was no stranger to how fast gossip spread among the tenants so there was no doubt in her mind that the neighbours knew about her circumstances and the meals were a small kindness, beyond the fee she collected for the babysitting. She didn't want to accept the charity, didn't feel she deserved the kindness but those were meals her mother didn't have to worry about so she swallowed her pride and knocked on the door. 

"Come in!" Hina called and Mizuki stepped into the equally tiny apartment, shared by Hina and her parents, Mari and Yusuke Sato. 

“Mizuki-chan, come sit down, dinner is almost ready.” Mari greeted as Hina grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the table.

“Thank you for watching Hina over the break, Mizuki-chan.” Yusuke looked up from the magazine he was reading as she sat down. “Daycare is so expensive and they always raise the rates during the holidays.”

“It was no trouble, Sato-san,” Mizuki replied as Mari brought a pot of curry to the table. 

“How was your first day of school? You’re in your senior year, right?” 

“Yes, it was fine.” Mizuki looked down at her plate, feeling out of place. 

“Onee-chan, want to know what we did today?” Hina asked with a smile then immediately launched into talking about her classmates and school adventures. Mizuki was happy to listen, thankful to have the focus away from her. After dinner, she helped Mari do the dishes while Yusuke put Hina to bed.

“You know, Mizuki-chan, you’re very good with children. Have you thought about going into childcare after you graduate?” 

Mizuki chewed on her bottom lip, shaking her head. “No, I… I don’t really know what I want to do after school.” She admitted with embarrassment. “I don’t really know what the requirements are for that kind of thing.”

Mari gave her a kind smile. “Why don’t you ask your school counsellor?”

“Yeah, ok. Thanks for dinner, Sato-san.”

“It was no problem. You go ahead and get to your homework. I’ll finish this up.”

Mizuki bowed politely and left, pulling the door closed behind her with a sigh. She returned to her apartment, flopping down on the couch beside the stray cat. He gave her an irritated look for being disturbed then promptly climbed into her lap. She looked down at him with a smile. "Child care, hm?" 

~

‘"Shu! You're late!" Her father yelled at her as she stepped into the living room. She froze in surprise, not expecting him to be there. He was sitting in a chair with a beer, watching some variety show on TV. 

"I had practice." She replied quietly.

"Still wasting time on that? Didn't I tell you to quit? You'll never get anywhere and guys don't want a wife who's butch." Her father stood and it took everything in her to not cower as he approached. He was a large man, looming over her, enough to put anyone on edge. 

Shu hated him. She hated everything about him from his uncaring treatment of her mother to his sexist ideas and his brash dismissal of her as nothing more than a waste of his money. He'd wanted a son, of course, and Shu could never be that. It didn't matter that she was just as good at all the things he thought a boy would be. It didn't matter how hard she tried to earn his respect. He would never see her as anything but useless. 

She hated herself for cowering in his presence. For being unable to fight back when he raised a fist. For being unable to stop him when her mother was his target. She hated herself for being weak, useless, unable to do anything. 

"Club participation is required." She replied quietly, shrinking back a bit. "And it's too late for me to switch to a different club." 

"Tch. At least this is your last year of this crap. Go help your mother with dinner. Maybe she can teach you something useful."

"Yes, sir." Shu quickly turned, grateful for the excuse to leave his presence. She put her school bag away then joined her mother in the kitchen. 

"Shu, how was school?" Her mother asked, giving her a warm smile and a hug.

"Fine, Mom." She replied with a smile. "What can I help with?" 

"Could you set the table and make tea? Dinner is almost done."

"Sure. Coach was talking about scholarships today. Said there were some really good universities offering full tuition."

"Is that so? That sounds like a good opportunity, Shu." Her mother replied as she placed the food on the table. "You know your father can't afford to send you to college so those scholarships would really be a help."

"Maybe in college, you'll find a man stupid enough to take in a useless girl like you." Her father commented as he took his seat. Shu's lips pressed to a thin line as she brought the tea over and filled their cups. A brief thought of pouring the hot tea on her father flashed through her mind. She put down the teapot and took her seat as her father filled his plate. 

"Miyu is thinking of going to the University of Tokyo. If I can get a scholarship there I thought we could get a dorm together."

"Miyu? That cute girl who's always following you around? Why's she bothering with college? I bet she has plenty of guys who'd be happy to marry her. Too bad you can't learn to be more like her."

Shu flinched at her father's words. "Miyu is going to study medicine." She replied quietly. "She wants to become a physiotherapist."

"Oh, well that's a good career." Her mother replied with approval and a knowing look. "And if you two could continue to go to school together, that would be wonderful. You're so cute together." 

Shu blushed a bit and nodded. "She's so kind. She's always taking care of people and she can't stand to see people get hurt. I told her she should be a nurse but she said she wanted to work with athletes like me."

"That's sweet of her."

"She should focus on taking care of her husband, not other people. Don't know why women think they should be going out and getting careers like that."

"It's not the same as when you grew up, Dad." Shu offered hesitantly. "Women are expected to work even when they're married now."

"Stupid nonsense. Women belong at home. What's wrong with people these days?" Shu looked down at her plate, focusing on putting food in her mouth. "It's those damn Americans. Influencing our politicians."

The meal progressed that way, with her father ranting about the world changing for the worse. The bad examples American women were setting. The politicians all being corrupt. It was better than being told she was useless so she sat in silence until he was done and gone back to watch his TV shows. 

"I'm sorry Shu. He just doesn't understand that the world is changing." Her mother apologized as they cleaned the kitchen together. 

"He doesn't seem to understand that the very ideas of gender discrimination through roles that he promotes came from American influence, either, " She replied with a frown. "I wish you'd stop apologizing for him."

"I-" She paused, sighing. "I know, Shu. I'm sorry. You pursue that scholarship, ok? I want you to find something better than this."

“Yeah, thanks, Mom.”

~

The black sedan was waiting for her at the school gate, as inevitable as every other part of her life seemed to be. A dark reminder of just how trapped she was in her father's web. Haruka stared at the inoffensive vehicle with loathing for everything it represented.

As she approached, the driver got out and opened the door for her, revealing her father waiting inside. So it was to be a night out. She hid her feelings of disgust and dread behind an impassive expression, the perfect image of a proper young woman. 

"Haruka, we're going for dinner with the Asuki family. They're important business associates so I expect you to be a gracious host. Their son, Yahiko, has expressed interest in you."

_Of course he has, _Shiki thought darkly. _You probably offered me up as a bonus to whatever deal you made._ "Yes, father." She replied, staring out the window as the car moved away from the school. 

"It pleases me to see that you've come around."

_As if I had a choice. _She didn't reply, letting her silence and her closed-off body language speak for her. 

Her father grabbed her chin, turning her head forcefully. "Try to show a bit more enthusiasm at dinner. Asuki is an important clan. More important to me than you or your mother." The threat hung between them, Shiki unable to completely hide her anger as she stared at her father. 

"I have no intention of risking Mother's situation." She finally replied coldly. 

"Such a dutiful daughter." Her father replied with a sadistic smirk. 

The restaurant was posh and French. Spare no expense in business. Appearances were everything to her father. The Asuki were already seated at the table when they arrived, rising to greet them. Yahiko appeared to be in his early thirties and looked like every other yakuza executive Haruka had met. Hair slicked back, dress shirt unbuttoned at the top, gold chain around his neck. She briefly pondered what it would be like to strangle the man with his own necklace. 

"Asuki-san, let me introduce my daughter Haruka." Her father was speaking. Yahiko's gaze lingered too long in places that were not her face and she held back the sneer she so desperately wanted to give him. 

"Pleasure to meet you." She replied with the utmost formality, bowing politely. Yahiko pulled out the chair for her then proceeded to sit far too close. 

"I'd suggest the Chardonnay." He spoke as she opened the menu. She arched a brow at him. 

"I'm seventeen." Haruka was no stranger to drinking but this was a fine dining restaurant, not a hole-in-the-wall izakaya that didn't care about age. 

"I'll order a bottle." He replied with a shrug and a grin, as if offering alcohol to an obvious minor should somehow impress her. 

"I appreciate the offer, Asuki-san, but I really must refuse." She replied, polite yet firm. Not that a bit of alcohol didn't sound appealing but she hardly wanted to lose her wits. "I wouldn't want to cause the restaurant trouble."

"Very considerate of you." He replied. "Have you eaten here before? I recommend the Chateaubriand." Listening to him butcher the French name made her scream internally. She gave him an icy smile.

"I prefer the Coq au Vin." Her pronunciation was significantly better than his and his brows furrowed slightly in annoyance. 

"Ah yes, a more suitable dish for a lady," He replied, attempting to salvage the conversation. It was obvious he knew nothing about French cuisine. The waiter saved her from further food-related stupidity.

Dinner consisted of business talk, which Shiki sat silently through, listening with polite interest at Yahiko's bragging but offering little in response unless directly addressed. Despite her wall of polite distance, Yahiko's hand wandered, brushing her arm or resting on her thigh, making her increasingly more uncomfortable. The bottle of wine she had refused was ordered and poured, an obvious move she countered by making sure the first glass lasted into dessert. 

"Yahiko, your father and I have much to discuss but it's getting late. Would you take Haruka home, please?" Haruka's father proposed after dinner, giving Haruka a pointed look, leaving her with no way out. 

"Of course," Yahiko replied with a grin, seeing his opportunity. Having consumed most of the bottle of wine, he was quite tipsy as they made their way to the Asuki's sedan, near-identical to the ones Haruka's family used. _One day_, she thought, _I’m going to own a white sports car just to spite the yakuza aesthetic_. 

As they slid into the back seat she gave the driver her address, thankful that the restaurant wasn't far from her house. As they pulled away, Yahiko leaned in close, sliding a hand up her thigh. "You're lucky, you know," He slurred. "The Asuki clan is important. We're moving up in the world."

Haruka pressed herself against the door, keeping as much distance between them as possible but Yahiko, drunk and full of himself, ignored her body language. He pressed in closer, sliding an arm around her shoulders as his other hand continued to creep up her thigh, pushing up her skirt. She gripped the hem to keep it in place. "Asuki-san, please st-" 

His lips closed over hers, forcing her into a sloppy kiss, trapped as she was between him and the car door. She tried to push him away but he had the advantage of size and leverage and the moment her hands shifted away from her skirt he took advantage. His hand pressed between her thighs and she tried to jerk away but he kept her pinned. "No need to act shy, Haruka." He chided, grinning down at her. "Your father's promised you to me so you should start learning how to please me now."

Haruka couldn't hide the disgust that twisted her features into a sneer as she gave him another shove. He laughed, sliding a hand up to grope her breast. "A girl with fight, I like that. Don't worry, I'll make sure you're begging for it, soon enough."

He pressed in for another kiss as his hand continued to play with her breast and Haruka began to panic. This wasn't the first time one of her father's associates had tried something but they usually backed off when she resisted. Yahiko seemed determined to take what he wanted and she was trapped. Her hand scrambled for the door handle, genuinely considering throwing herself out of the moving car. 

"Sir," the driver addressed Yahiko as the car pulled up to the curb. "We've arrived."

Yahiko pulled back, glancing at the driver in irritation but before he could speak Haruka was scrambling out of the car. She didn't quite run up the walk but the swift click of her heels on cement was enough to catch the attention of the guards at the gate. They opened the gate for her, casting concerned glances at the car. Yahiko had gotten out, watching her flee with a smirk. She disappeared into the house without looking back.

~

Rinya was waiting for Shinra in front of the school when she saw the car pull up. Conspicuous both in its appearance and in the way the other students made a point of ignoring it. She watched as the newest focus of her interest, the fascinating Haruka Shiki passed through the gates and got into the backseat. She ran to the gate as the car pulled away, staring after it as it drove away.

“Rinya!” Shinra called, running up to her. “What are you looking at?” Her bespectacled gaze turned in the direction Rinya was looking.

“Just confirming a rumour,” Rinya replied with a grin. “Shinra I need your help.”

“With what?” She asked, equal parts suspicious and intrigued. 

“I need you to distract Kine while I sneak into the office.”

“Again? What are you looking for this time?”

“Better if you don’t know.”

“Rinyaaaa!” Shinra whined as Rinya grabbed her hand and dragged her back toward the school. “What am I supposed to talk to him about this time?”

“Just do what you always do,” Rinya replied. “Talk about your imaginary girlfriend.”

“She’s not imaginary!” Shinra protested. “You know she isn’t! You met her!”

Rinya grinned and grabbed Shinra’s shoulders, turning her so that she was facing the Student Councillor’s office. “Well, she’s not your girlfriend so that part is imaginary.” 

“But she will be!”

Rinya gave Shinra a little shrug. “Just keep him busy for a while.” Shinra sighed and knocked on the door, waiting for Kine to invite her in. Once she was inside, Rinya turned her sights to the teacher’s office next door. At this hour the teachers were either heading home or supervising club activities so as long as she was careful she could sneak her way into the records room. It wasn’t the first time she’d done it and she knew exactly what she was looking for. She was in and out quickly but not quite fast enough. As she exited the teacher’s office Kine was escorting Shinra out of his own office. 

“Orihara-chan.” He fixed his stern gaze on her. “Did you need something?”

“Ah, no, nothing important, Kine-san.” She replied with a sweet smile. “I was just looking for my math teacher but she seems to have left already.”

“Hmmm.” Kine stared at her suspiciously. “If you need to speak with your teachers, you should be doing so during school hours, Orihara-chan. You know this.”

“Oh, I know, sir, but I forgot to ask her earlier so I just thought it would be worth checking to see if she was still here since I was waiting for Kishitani-chan.” Rinya gave Kine an innocent smile. “It’s ok, I’ll just ask her tomorrow.”

Kine eyed the two girls then waved them away. “If you aren’t participating in club activities then go home.”

“Yes, sir!” The girls replied in unison, turning and quickly heading down the hall toward the front doors. Once they were off school grounds and walking toward Shinra’s apartment, she turned to look at Rinya.

“Well? Are you going to tell me what you were looking for?”

“Student information,” Rinya smirked as she pulled out her phone and showed Shinra the pictures she had taken of the Student Council members’ student files.

“Ok. But why?”

“Information is power, Shinra. How many times do I have to tell you that? If you want that new microscope I need leverage.”

“Are you going to stalk them?” Shinra asked with a frown.

“It’s not _stalking._” Rinya protested, pocketing her phone. “It’s _investigating._”

“Ok, fine, investigating then.”

“Of course.” As they approached the corner Rinya gave her friend a smirk. “I haven’t gotten this far on luck, you know.”

“No, but your plans don’t always have the best outcomes.” Shinra reminded her. “Those Student Council girls are pretty dangerous.”

Rinya just laughed. “So am I. See you tomorrow, Shinra!” She gave her friend a wave then skipped across the street, disappearing into the crowd. 

Soon after parting ways with Shinra, Rinya arrived at home. The lights were all off as she entered. “I’m home.” She called to the emptiness, kicking her shoes off in the entryway and dropping her school bag on the floor beside the stairs. She wandered into the kitchen with a sigh, pulling out a frozen dinner from the freezer and shoving it into the microwave. As she waited for her dinner to heat, she pulled out her phone and stared at the photos, zooming in on the girls’ faces as she flipped through them. As she came to Haruka’s file, she bit her lip, a faint blush colouring her cheeks as she zoomed in on the serious-looking young woman. “Shiki Haruka…” She murmured to herself as she gazed at the picture.

~

Taka was sitting at the kitchen table, diligently working on her homework when her parents finally arrived home from work. 

“Sorry we were so late, Taka,” her mother greeted her with a hug. “Big project deadline. The director wanted everyone in for one last meeting before handing it in. We picked up sushi on the way home to celebrate.”

“It’s fine, I was just doing my homework,” Taka replied with a smile as she closed her books and moved them off the table. “I was tutoring after school so I only got home a little while ago.”

“That’s my girl,” her father complimented her with a smile as he unpacked the takeout boxes. “With your grades, you’ll be able to choose any university. If you’re interested, your mother and I can line up a job for you at our company.”

“I would like to pursue a Business degree. I hope that doesn’t disappoint you. I know you were hoping I would go into marketing.”

“Disappoint us?” Her mother replied with surprise. “Taka, you could never disappoint us. If that’s what you want, we’re happy to support you.”

“Careful, honey. If we let Taka go to business school she might end up as our boss one day.” Her father joked and her mother laughed. Taka laughed as well and if it wasn’t a genuine laugh, her parents didn’t notice.

After dinner, she retreated to her room to pursue a different hobby. On her desk sat a pinboard that was nearly full of butterflies. A jar sat nearby, several recently caught butterflies caught inside. Her parents had thought it an odd hobby at first but she had told them that it was an extracurricular study for science class and so they had left her to it. She reached into the jar and grasped one of the butterflies by its wings, holding it up to study it. “I already have one like you.” She told the squirming insect. “A shame for you. The unique ones get displayed. You, pretty little thing, will be dissected.” She grinned a sharp-toothed grin as she pinned the butterfly by the wings, watching it struggle in vain.


	3. Kouhai

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to put out something for Raijin weeks ago but I haven't been able to get into the headspace for it. T_T  
I'm hoping this chapter is good but I'm really not sure.  
Anyway, enjoy!

Rinya was waiting for Taka outside the council room, clutching a folder to her chest. “Kazamoto-senpai!” She greeted the older girl with a cheery smile. 

Taka’s eyes narrowed as she turned to look at Rinya. “Orihara-chan. Did you need something?” The junior had been around the student council office quite a bit, ostensibly as class rep but Taka had noticed the way Rinya tended to linger and watch the older girls, especially Haruka.

“Yes, something more personal.” Rinya’s smile didn’t falter at Taka’s cool reception, if anything it brightened. “The middle school biology club, of which I am a member, has a request for funds. I filled out all the paperwork required.” Rinya presented the folder.

Taka flipped it open, skimming the request. “A microscope? What could you possibly need a microscope for? There are only two members of your club. That they even allowed you to form was an oversight of the previous treasurer.”

“Middle school clubs have less strict rules than high school. The required number of members is lower. Regardless, the president of the club feels that it would help her research.”

“What research?” Taka arched a brow, suspicious.

“You would have to ask Shinra.” Rinya shrugged. “My interests lie in different fields.”

“Then why are you part of the biology club?” Taka asked pointedly.

“Because there’s no psychology club,” Rinya replied as if it should be obvious. “I agreed to join so that I could do my own research.” It was close to the truth. Watching Shinra was psychology research, after all.

Taka tilted her head slightly at the declaration. “Psychology? Regardless, a microscope is an investment that would be lost on the middle school. It’s more likely that the instrument would end up broken in the hands of you juniors. I don’t feel like wasting money for one girl.”

Rinya’s smile curved into a smirk, eyes narrowing. “The microscope would be in the care of our student advisor and only accessible to our club. I can assure you that Shinra is very well equipped to handle it. Her father is a doctor, you know.”

“A doctor?”

“Yes. He does important research for an American company. She wants to be a doctor too.”

Taka paused, sensing that Rinya was trying to play on sympathy. It was amusing. “The budget does not have room for such a frivolous purchase.” She replied firmly.

“No, of course not.” Rinya looked down as if in disappointment letting her hair fall forward. “I imagine the budget is tight after you approved the purchase of a forensic entomology kit.” She raised her head again and the look in her eyes was calculating. “What could you possibly need _that_ for, Kazamoto-senpai?”

“A science project,” Taka replied stiffly, lips thinning to a line. 

“Involving insects that live in corpses? How fascinating. Sounds like the kind of project that would benefit from access to a microscope. Unless, of course, the principal happens to find out that the treasurer is using school funds to further her personal projects instead of investing in school clubs...”

“You- you’re-” Taka sighed in exasperation. “Very well, Orihara-chan. The biology club can have a microscope.”

Rinya’s cheery smile returned and she bowed. “Thank you very much, Kazamoto-senpai.” She turned on her heel and skipped away, obviously pleased with herself. Taka looked down at the forms and laughed softly.

~

“Shouldn’t we be advertising for our own club, Rin?” Shinra asked as the raven dragged her down the hallway. 

“Why bother? We’d need to find at least two students to replace us and that’s unlikely. The club will disappear when we move into high school next year. So instead of wasting time on the past, we should be looking to the future.”

“The future?” Shinra asked, adjusting her glasses.

“Yes. We are going to go check out the high school clubs. Plan for next year.”

“But they might not be the same next year,” Shinra protested. “Unless they have a biology club in high school, I’m not interested.”

“Don’t be boring, Shinra. You’re under orders to make friends and so far you’ve completely failed your assigned mission. You have the opportunity to start over next year.”

“Celty is happy that I have you.” Shinra gazed at the schoolyard as they exited the building. Small booths were set up for the clubs to attract new members. “Anyway, it’s not like we can join any of the high school clubs yet so this is pointless.”

“Look! The kendo team is showing off! Let’s go check them out.” Rinya ignored Shinra’s protests, dragging her toward the front of the building the kendo team used for practice. 

“Why do I feel like you have an ulterior motive?” Shinra grumbled.

“Because I always have an ulterior motive,” Rinya replied with a laugh. She surveyed the gathering students, spotting Shu with the rest of the kendo team and Mizuki loitering nearby with a small cluster of admirers. “Aozaki-senpai sure is scary.” 

“The complete lack of fear in your voice once again reminds me that you have no sense of self-preservation. Did you know she got into a fight with a group of boys from Toshima Gakuen yesterday?”

“I _saw_ it,” Rinya replied with excitement. “She was with her girlfriend in Westgate Park when it happened. The boys thought it’d be fun to harass a couple of girls, tried to flirt and get handsy. Miyu-senpai was trying to be polite but Aozaki-senpai just wound up and clocked the leader of the group. The other boys didn’t know what to do so they just scattered in all directions.”

“I thought you didn’t like violence,” Shinra teased.

“I don’t.” Rinya sniffed. “A reasonable person should never have to resort to violence. However, some humans don’t know how to behave reasonably. If a girl has to punch a boy in the face because he won’t take no for an answer, it’s unfortunate but clearly he was the unreasonable one.”

“So you want to join the kendo club?” Rinya looked up at the taller girl who had seemed to appear out of nowhere while she’d been gossiping to Shinra. “I don’t think juniors are allowed to apply to high school clubs.”

“Aozaki-senpai!” Rinya exclaimed. “Oh, no, we were just looking around for next year.”

“You’re the girl who was suspended for knife fighting, aren’t you?” Shu asked and Rinya’s eyes widened in surprise. While the story had gotten around, she hadn’t expected the seniors to have heard about it or connected it to her.

“Oh, that was just a misunderstanding,” Shinra supplied unhelpfully. “Rin doesn’t usually get into fights.”

“A girl’s gotta know how to protect herself,” Shu replied with a slight grin. “A knife’s not a bad choice, quick and easy to hide but it just doesn’t have the solid power of a good shinai or baseball bat.”

“Well I’m not a member of the baseball team so carrying a bat around all the time looks conspicuous.” Rinya pointed out with a grin. “I can hide a dozen knives in this uniform.”

“What kind of knives?” Shu asked and Rinya’s eyes lit up in delight.

“My favourite is the Spyderco Amalgam.” She slid the knife out of her sleeve and offered it to Shu. Shinra gaped at her friend.

“Rin! You promised me you’d stop bringing knives to school!”

“Oops,” Rinya smirked. 

Shu looked the knife over, nodding. “Nice knife. You don’t like switchblades?”

“Too risky. The failure rate on a switchblade is pretty high and cops hate them so you get more hassle if you’re caught with one. Standard folding pocket knives are more reliable and legal.”

Shu handed back the blade, giving Rinya an approving grin. “You actually know how to use it?”

“In theory,” Rinya replied with a shrug. “Haven’t gotten in enough fights to know for sure.”

“You don’t take classes?”

“In knife fighting?” Rinya giggled. “I don’t think anyone offers those. Besides I don’t think my parents would approve.”

Shu gave Rinya a sympathetic look and nodded. “Coach lets me use the dojo whenever I want. You want to practice on a real target, come by on Saturdays.”

Rinya blinked at the offer and the sympathetic look she didn’t entirely understand. “Really? But Kendo is different…”

Shu grinned and clapped a hand on Rinya’s shoulder. “Fighting’s fighting. I’m not gonna go at you with a shinai. That wouldn’t be fair.”

“Shu! Coach is looking for you!” Miyu announced, bouncing up to them and grabbing Shu’s hand.

Shu immediately turned to look at Miyu, smiling softly. “Ok, Miyu.” The two of them moved away, leaving Shinra sighing heavily.

“They’re so cute. If only I could hold hands with my beautiful Celty!”

“She’s not yours, idiot,” Rinya muttered, rolling her eyes. 

~

“Nice little operation you’ve got going here.” 

Rinya looked up from the ledger she’d been writing in, eyes widening at the unexpected presence of Mizuki. She put down her pen and closed the ledger, folding her hands together over it. “Akabayashi-senpai, welcome to the biology club.” She replied with a smirk. 

“So what part of biology covers gambling on sports games?” Mizuki drawled as she entered the classroom.

“How the brain works, of course. A social experiment that examines certain behaviour patterns when humans engage in measured risk.”

Mizuki arched a brow at Rinya’s response, pausing to give her another look. “From what I’ve heard, you’re making no small amount of money while performing this experiment.”

“Don’t worry, I use it to fund other experiments,” Rinya replied with a smirk. “Would you like to place a bet, Akabayashi-senpai? The game is tomorrow so today’s the last chance.”

Mizuki snorted at the brazen junior. “Tell you what, I’ll place a bet in your pool but if I win, you’re going to tell me about Nakura.”

Rinya’s eyes narrowed at the challenge. “There isn’t much to tell. He’s just another dumb teenage boy who got himself into trouble.”

“The real story, Orihara-chan.” Mizuki leaned forward, reaching for the ledger. 

Rinya slid it away, shaking her head. “If you win, I lose both money _and_ blackmail. That’s hardly a good bet for me to accept.”

“Keep your money, then.” Mizuki ceded. “Who are the teams?”

“Toshima versus Rikkyo.”

Mizuki smiled. “I’ll place my bet on Rikkyo.”

Rinya’s eyes narrowed to slits at Mizuki’s choice but opened the ledger and wrote it down in careful letters.

Mizuki returned the next day to collect her winnings. Rinya graced the redhead with an unpleasant smile. “You play dirty, Akabayashi-senpai.”

“Of course I do,” Mizuki replied with a smirk. “Playing fair is for those with privilege. The rest of us do whatever we can to get what we want.”

“I would think the secretary of the school council has privilege.” Rinya countered and caught the smallest line of tightness in Mizuki’s jaw.

“You’re right. The student council could shut your little experiment down. You could be suspended again. I’m sure you’d enjoy another of Kine’s lectures.”

Rinya slow-blinked at the response then shrugged. “You had the team’s best hitter and the pitcher beaten up last night.”

“Did I?” Mizuki replied with an innocent grin.

“You bet on the underdogs then sabotaged the leaders to win.”

“Interesting theory.”

“If you’d placed a money bet, you’d have cleaned me out.”

“But I didn’t. So you reaped all the profit since your juniors would have all bet on the safe win.”

Rinya pursed her lips in irritation. “You changed the rules of the game.”

“I did.”

Rinya’s lips suddenly curved upward in an amused grin. “How unexpected! How wonderful! How absolutely delightful! Unfortunately, I simply cannot allow you to place bets anymore. If the rest of my betters noticed that someone was _cheating_ and beating up the baseball players, they’d stop playing the game.”

Mizuki paused at Rinya’s sudden change in demeanour, confused, then amused. She chuckled and shrugged. “I don’t need to play your game. Now about Nakura…”

Rinya shrugged. “I’m not really obligated to pay when you cheated.” She pointed out.

“I’m not really obligated to be nice about this,” Mizuki replied with a toothy grin.

Rinya gave her a disappointed look. “You’re obviously smart enough to not have to resort to violence.”

“Sometimes violence is fun. I don’t think the girl who got suspended for stabbing a student has much room to criticize.”

“Fine. I banned Nakura from betting with me because he stole money from his father to place a bet then lost and couldn’t handle it.”

“Couldn’t handle it?”

“He threatened me. Too afraid that Daddy would punish him when he got caught. Thought I’d get scared and give him his money back.”

“And you didn’t?”

“Of course not. First of all, his sob story is not my problem. Second of all, he’s just another stupid coward. I was surprised he managed to get up the guts to threaten me at all.”

“Was he the one you stabbed?”

Rinya smirked, eyes narrowing dangerously. “No.”

“Who’d you stab?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It does to me.”

“Kishitani Shinra.”

“Your club president? Why?”

“We were arguing about whether or not psychology should be considered a science.” Rinya lied, continuing to smile hostilely at Mizuki.

Mizuki snorted. “You’re a pretty good liar but that story is terrible. The teachers actually believed you?”

“They didn’t have a choice. There was no other evidence except our identical stories.”

“So what really happened?”

“That’s a secret.”

Mizuki studied Rinya critically for a long moment. “You didn’t stab your friend. But you were the reason she got stabbed.”

Rinya sniffed disdainfully. “Shinra is the reason Shinra got stabbed.”

“By Nakura?” Rinya reluctantly nodded. “Why’d you take the blame?”

“Because now Nakura owes me.” Rinya’s smirk turned dark.

“That’s twisted. Kind of impressive, actually. Why’d you send him to the high school betting table?”

“Curiosity.”

“If you want to know how it’s run, you’ll have to talk to the VP.”

Rinya bit her lip, hesitant yet hopeful. “You think she would tell me?”

Mizuki arched a brow. “Couldn’t tell you. Haru’s not big on sharing.” She teased, watching Rinya’s face fall. “You’ll just have to ask her.”

Rinya grew introspective. “Thanks, Akabayashi-senpai.”

Mizuki shook her head. “Don’t know what you’re thanking me for. You’re a strange girl, Orihara-chan.”

“Am I? I think you’re strange too. All of you are.” Rinya replied with a grin.

“Is that why you’ve been following us around?”

“Something like that. I’ll be in high school next year. If I want to replace you all, I need to learn from you first.”

“Ambitious. You tell Haru that and maybe she’ll give you a chance.”

~

The roof hadn’t always been off-limits. The principal had deemed it so after a student had used it as the perfect launch point for paint-filled water balloons. A surprisingly minor infraction in a school full of miscreants but Dougen had been very firm on the point, no doubt to avoid more severe issues in the future. Haruka, as the vice president, happened to know exactly where the key was kept and if she had made a copy so that she could take her lunch away from prying eyes, Dougen certainly wouldn’t complain. She was a responsible student, after all. A shining example of what the school could be.

Haruka exhaled, watching the smoke drift upward, her bento sitting untouched beside her. Sometimes her girls would join her for lunch but not today. Today she’d sent them away in order to lure out her stalker. She’d managed in just one week to blackmail Taka, win Shu’s approval, and impress Mizuki. It seemed she was clever, ambitious, and quite vicious and if what she’d told Mizuki was true, she wanted to replace them when they graduated. Despite all of that, when it came to approaching her, Rinya seemed skittish, preferring to stalk her as a silent shadow. 

“Smoking can increase the risks for at least thirteen different types of cancer.” The fact was delivered matter-of-factly but the red eyes that gazed at her from where the raven crouched on the ledge of the roof were serious.

Haruka’s dark eyes met the twin rubies and she arched an elegant brow. “Did you climb?” Rinya nodded, hopping off the ledge and moving toward Haruka. Haruka watched her approach, taking a final deep inhale before putting out the cigarette.

“You wanted to see me?” Rinya settled cross-legged in front of Haruka. The senior noted the scrapes on Rinya’s legs.

“I would say that it’s the other way around.” Rinya watched Haruka in silent fascination. It should have been unsettling, might have been in a different person, but there was a genuine innocence to the way Rinya did it. Not that she would consider Rinya innocent but the way she was looking at Haruka now was genuine in its curiosity and truly seemed lacking in ulterior motives. Rinya might be a bit of a stalker but that was so much more preferable to the sycophants who sought her out for status. “You really want to join the student council next year?” Rinya shook her head, smiling a bit. “Smart. It’s a dumpster fire.” Rinya shrugged, still smiling. “Were you planning to talk at all?”

Rinya giggled at that. “I’ve been told I talk too much.” 

“So you came here to stare at me?”

“I came here to listen to you. I can’t learn if I’m talking.” Rinya replied as if it were obvious.

“Learn what, exactly?”

“Everything.” Rinya smiled. 

Haruka reached for her bento. “If you were expecting some sort of lecture or advice, you’re going to be disappointed.” Rinya shook her head, eyes shifting to the bento as Haruka opened it, staring at the contents with curiosity. 

“I wasn’t expecting anything. I was hoping…” She paused nervously then pushed ahead. “That you would let me see how you run your gambling.”

Haruka smirked briefly. “Why? It seems you’ve managed a successful business of your own.”

“Peanuts,” Rinya replied. “Betting on sports games. Barely gambling at all. The juniors who come to me are so predictable.”

“Predictable is profitable.”

“Predictable is _boring_. Who makes your lunch?”

Haruka paused at the question, looking down at the bento. “I do.”

Rinya’s eyes widened in admiration. “Oh. Wow. I would have thought you’d have a personal chef or something.”

A soft laugh escaped before Haruka could stop it. “No, I don’t have a personal chef.”

“Is that tamago?” Rinya continued, fixating on the food. “Tamago is soooo hard to make!”

“Do you not have a lunch?” Haruka asked pointedly and Rinya shook her head. 

“I forgot.”

Haruka gave the junior an exasperated look. “You really are strange.” She held out the bento.

Rinya lit up as if Haruka had complimented her. “So are you.” She stared at the bento, obviously tempted by the offer then sighed. “No thank you. I can stop at the convenience store after school.” Rinya’s stomach chose that moment to rumble and she looked away, embarrassed.

Haruka arched a brow, giving Rinya an amused smirk. “It’s fine, I can never finish it.”

At that prompting, Rinya took one of the onigiri with a shy grin. “Thank you, senpai.”

Haruka watched Rinya, fascinated by the pretty raven who seemed too clever and too fearless. A sort of dangerous bravery she couldn’t help but to be a bit envious of. “No more trying to blackmail the student council.” She warned sternly. Rinya nodded her agreement eagerly. “If you don’t want to join the student council, then what is it you’re hoping to get out of this?”

“It’s not your student council roles that make you interesting.” Rinya grinned. “You’re a sukeban. A real sukeban, even if you are small. You look out for each other. And other girls, too. Everyone talks about it.”

“You shouldn’t listen to rumours.”

“All rumours start with a truth.” Rinya challenged boldly, staring at Haruka seriously.

Haruka couldn’t deny it so she didn’t bother. “There are expectations, you know.” Rinya nodded. “If you’re going to be loitering around the student council, don’t be a nuisance.”

Rinya smiled. “Yes, senpai.”


	4. Flowers Among the Weeds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mentioned this on Tumblr and decided to give it a try. I've changed Izaya's name to Rinya which was the name that his parents had planned to give him if the reading of his name as Izaya wasn't accepted. Rinya is a more feminine leaning name so it seemed to better suit this story and I've wanted to give her something more feminine but I'm opposed to calling her Kanra as other writers have done because of what Kanra was to Izaya in the original story. It just didn't feel like the right fit to me. But Rinya, being a possible name from his parents, feels a bit better to me.  
We'll see how long it lasts... I had to go back and change it so many times because I kept typing Izaya out of habit... XD

"Orihara!" Kine's gruff voice called to her from below. She was perched precariously on the wall-mounted flagpole, attempting to reach what appeared to be a uniform jacket. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Rinya snickered at Kine's language but kept her focus on reaching for the jacket. "I would think it would be obvious, Kine-san!" Her fingers brushed the fabric and tightened quickly around it as the flagpole wobbled with her movements.

"How did you even get up there?" Kine demanded angrily. "No, nevermind, I don't even want to know. Get down, right now."

"I would but…" Rinya carefully removed the jacket as she spoke. "I kind of need this."

"NOW ORIHARA." Kine bellowed causing the raven to freeze in surprise at his angry tone. She nonetheless grasped the jacket before edging back toward the wall. She carefully made her way back down, scaling the building like a spider. Kine watched with a mixture of concern at the girl's dangerous antics and embarrassment at the unintended view. 

Rinya was unconcerned, of course, by either the danger of scaling the school or the view she was giving the students who had gathered to watch. She took the last couple meters down as a jump, landing with a flourish then immediately handing the coat to Shinra, who had been waiting nearby. Then, as Kine was approaching with an aura of doom, she swiftly turned to a boy standing beside Shinra and kicked him squarely in the balls.

"You ever do something like that again and I will make the rest of your school life so miserable you'll be begging your parents to let you transfer." She told him in a sickly sweet voice, smiling radiantly.

"Orihara!" Kine snapped, grabbing the collar of her uniform and pulling her away from her doubled-over victim. "My office. Now. Kishitani, take that boy to the nurse."

"Yes, sir," Shinra replied as she waved to Rinya. "Thank you!"

Rinya pulled away from the student councillor as he dragged her toward the school. "He's the one who should be getting in trouble!" She argued into the angry silence but Kine didn't respond, continuing to march her to his office in silence. Rinya sulked as she flopped onto a chair gracelessly.

Kine sat behind his desk, glaring at her with obvious frustration. "You have been warned about climbing school buildings. Multiple times."

"Well I wouldn't have had to do it if that stupid idiot hadn't stolen Shinra’s jacket, would I?" Rinya responded, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Kishitani could have gotten the custodian to get it down. And you shouldn't have kicked the boy."

"He shouldn't have taken her jacket."

"You've already been suspended once for fighting. I thought we had an agreement, Rinya."

"So I should just let my friend get bullied because all of you teachers don't care?" Rinya pointed out with a huff. “He’s done this to other girls.”

"I know you're smarter than this." Kine sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "Is this because you've been spending time with those other girls?"

"What other girls?" Rinya played ignorant but Kine saw right through it.

"The student council. Rinya, those girls are nothing but trouble. Every one of them is likely to end up in a bad way after they graduate. You are very smart and you have so many opportunities ahead of you if you just focus on your schoolwork and-"

"If you were dealt a bad hand, what would you do?" Rinya interrupted.

"Eh?"

"You're an adult so you have lots of options. If life dealt you a bad hand, what would you do?" Rinya pressed and there was something in her gaze, a terrifying intensity.

"This isn't about me-"

"No, it's about your students. How do you expect people to get better when they've only ever been dealt a bad hand?"

Kine leaned back in his chair, examining Rinya thoughtfully. "You see much more than most, even adults. I get that. But there are some things we can't change, even as adults."

"You're the school councillor. Isn't it your job to look out for the students?"

"I can only do so much and not one of those girls would come to me for help anyway. Every one of them should have been expelled for their behaviours, even Shiki, despite her excellent grades and outwardly respectable appearance."

"So you assume the worst of them and don't do anything. How typical of adults. Always telling us how we should behave but never actually doing anything when there are problems."

"Fighting, gambling, underage drinking. Those girls don't need to engage in those kinds of activities, Rinya, and neither do you."

"But it's perfectly acceptable for the boys to do that kind of thing," Rinya retorted with a venomous smile. "I heard the teachers talking about it when the boys in Class E got caught with a six-pack of Sapporo. They're just 'being boys'."

Kine let out a long sigh. "Stop eavesdropping on the teachers." He scolded her even as he knew it was pointless. "I don't approve of the boys doing these things either. Look, it isn't fair but it's the way it is. There are rules, Rinya, and as unfair as it is, the things boys can get away with will ruin your chances of success."

Rinya's lips thinned in an expression that was very close to anger but she remained silent. Kine frowned at this change in her usual behaviour. "Have you even thought about what you want to do when you graduate? You're entering high school next year, I can only hope you have some sort of plan?"

"Of course I do," Rinya replied snidely. "I'm not an idiot." Kine waited expectantly. "I want to continue my studies of sociology and psychology." She beamed at him with this announcement. 

"Well, consider this, then. You can't become a psychologist with a criminal record."

Rinya's eyes narrowed in contemplation. "Ok, fine. I get it." She replied and Kine had the overwhelming gut feeling that she did not get it. In fact, the hint of a smirk playing about the girl's lips made him think she had taken the warning to mean 'don't get caught' instead of 'stay out of trouble'. 

"If I catch you climbing the buildings again, it'll be detention and extra cleaning for a month." He added ominously. Rinya wrinkled her nose in irritation at the threat but nodded. "Now get back to class."

~

"Hey, red, how'd the lecture go?" Mizuki asked as Rinya entered the student council office. 

"Haaah?" Rinya responded with a frown. "Red?" Mizuki just gave her an awful grin which, once Rinya had connected the dots, she returned with a brash smile of her own as she promptly lifted her skirt, flashing the others.

"Oh my god, Rinya!" Shu exclaimed in disapproval but Rinya just snickered. “Taking lessons from Mizuki?”

“They’re shorts, Aozaki-senpai,” Rinya informed the other girl.

“Your audience seems to be under a different impression,” Mizuki teased her. “You sure you want rumours like that floating around?”

Rinya grew serious for a moment as she thought about it then shrugged. “If stupid boys want to fantasize about the colour of my underwear, who cares?”

“Heard you sent one of those stupid boys to the nurse,” Shu commented, approval in her voice. “What’d he do?”

“Stole Shinra’s jacket,” Rinya replied with a smirk. “Where’s Shiki-senpai?”

Shu and Mizuki exchanged amused looks at their junior’s question but it was Taka who responded. “She left early. If you’re wondering, yes she saw that little stunt but I doubt it impressed her.”

Rinya cocked her head to the side, studying Taka with an unreadable expression. “She never leaves early.”

“She got a call, then left,” Taka replied with an uninterested shrug. 

“Oh,” Rinya replied with disappointment. 

Mizuki chuckled. “She’ll meet us later at the cafe. Let’s go before Kine shows up to lecture us too.”

Shu rolled her eyes. “Maybe if you’d stop picking fights with Mayumi and her little cult.”

Mizuki arched a brow. “Maybe if you’d stop picking fights with those _Yankii_ boys from Toshima.”

Taka rose from her desk and slid her books into her bag. “If we wait for you to figure out who causes more headaches for the councillor, the cafe will close.”

“One day he’ll catch you in the middle of something, Taka,” Mizuki retorted with a grin. She stood and smoothed her too-short skirt over her thighs.

“Very unlikely,” Taka replied, moving toward the door. 

Rinya fell in step beside Taka as Mizuki and Shu followed, still bickering. “If I was able to see that you were misspending club funds, how is it that they haven’t caught you?”

Taka gave Rinya a toothy grin. “Awakusu-sensei is the one who reviews the student council books and he has a vested interest in keeping us in these positions.”

“Because you keep the rest of the high school in some semblance of order?”

“Exactly. Raijin exists in a perpetual state of chaos and _we_ make sure that chaos doesn’t go too far. So he lets us do what we want, so long as there are no incidents that require calls to the police or trips to the hospital.”

“And this was senpai’s doing?”

“Haruya? Yes, she was already in Dougen’s good graces, so when she ran for vice president, he looked the other way. She rigged the elections that first year. Don’t tell him but the only reason Mikiya won the Presidency was because of her. Set him up as a puppet, not that the idiot had figured it out. Thinks he runs the show while she does all the real work. Since he’s so lazy, he doesn’t notice the gambling, the misspent funds or Shu and Mizuki’s little protection racket.”

Rinya rolled her eyes. “They aren’t exactly subtle.”

“He doesn’t want to see it and Dougen’s just happy he’s had three years of relative calm.”

“But he loses that next year. You haven’t exactly trained any replacements.”

Taka shrugged. “Sounds like his problem.”

Rinya smirked at her response. “It will be quite fascinating to watch.”

Taka raised a brow at Rinya’s response. “I thought you were planning to take over?”

Rinya shrugged. “I haven’t decided. It may be more interesting for my research to let the school devolve.” 

That drew a chuckle from Taka. “Be careful not to get caught in the fallout, Miss Psychology.”

~

Haruka’s stilettos echoed loudly in the silent white halls, making her feel like an intruder instead of a visitor. The nurses smiled at her as she passed the desk but she barely noticed their attempts at friendliness, her focus on the lone hospital room at the end of the hall. She stopped in front of the door, reaching out to grip the handle, heart fluttering in her chest. It was never good news. Not once had she received a call from the hospital that had been positive. She hated the sterile white halls, the smell of disinfectant and the nurses’ pity.

“Haruka?” Hanako’s voice strained to call her and she felt guilt at making her mother call out. She opened the door and stepped into the room quickly, pushing the door closed behind her.

“I’m sorry, Mother.”

“You have nothing to apologize for. Come here and let me see you. Open the curtains, please?”

“Of course,” Haruka replied, moving to the windows to fulfill her mother’s request. As she let the sun fill the room, Hanako pushed herself up into a sitting position. Haruka stared at her mother’s pale face, memorizing every detail. The circles under her eyes had grown darker and her skin was so pale it looked translucent in the sun’s light.

“Oh, you brought more flowers!” Hanako’s voice was soft but the delight was unmistakable. Haruka glanced down at the bouquet of marigolds she had picked out. “Marigolds! Here, put them with the others.” Haruka’s gaze shifted to the bedside table that she made sure was always overflowing with flowers for her mother. She carefully added the new bouquet to the assortment, hands shaking.

“The nurses…” Haruka began but Hanako patted the bed.

“Come sit, Haru. Tell me, how has school been?”

“School is fine,” Haruka replied, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. Hanako took her hand, smiling brightly at her daughter.

“And your friends? Not getting into too much trouble are you?” It was playful teasing; Hanako had no way of knowing what Haruka was doing, trapped inside these sterile walls as she was. Still, the question made Haruka’s heartache. “What’s wrong, Haru?” Her mother asked, perceiving Haruka’s distress. “Your father isn’t causing you problems is he?”

“No, Father is fine,” Haruka lied, forcing her emotions back behind the walls she had built to protect herself. Her mother couldn’t find out the truth of things. “My friends are fine and we’ve been staying out of trouble.”

Hanako took Haruka’s hand, squeezing it softly. “You look so grown up, Haru. I’m so proud of you. I know it hasn’t been easy for you, with your father’s business and my illness. I can’t believe you’ll be in college next year. Have you applied to any schools yet?”

“Yes, several but they won’t be able to confirm acceptance until after the second semester.”

“That’s good. Getting them in early shows your integrity. You’re going to do so well, Haru, I know you will. I could never have imagined my little girl growing up to become a lawyer.” Hanako grew serious, her grip on Haruka’s hand tightening. “Haruka, no matter what, you keep going. Don’t let your father stand in your way. I couldn’t protect you and I’m so sorry for that…”

“You did the best you could,” Haruka interrupted, biting her lip against the rising thickness in her throat. “It’s okay, Mom. I’m going to protect you now. Just wait for me a little longer, okay?” 

Hanako smiled brightly at her daughter. “My beautiful breath of spring. I could not have asked for a more wonderful daughter. Do you have time to read to me today? That book you brought me was so lovely but the doctors scolded me when I tried to read.”

“Of course,” Haruka agreed without hesitation. She reached for the book, opening it to the marked page and began to read, her soft voice filling the space between them. A space filled with all the regrets of a mother and a daughter desperately trying to protect each other.

~

Rinya’s gaze immediately tracked to the cafe door every time it opened, only half listening as Mizuki flirted with some boys from Rikkyo Gakuen and Miyu talked cheerfully to Shu about the latest fashion trends. So she was the first to spot the entrance of their leader but she remained silent, sipping on her soda as Haruka joined them at the table. The Rikkyo boys all turned their attention to her but Haruka ignored them. 

“Hey Mizuki-chan, who’s your friend?” One of them dared to ask. Mizuki smirked a bit, but when she looked at Haruka the smile disappeared.

“Just a friend,” Mizuki responded, dismissing the boys.

“And now that she’s here, you can all get lost,” Shu added firmly, glaring at the boys. The boys looked at each other then shrugged.

“Whatever,” their leader replied. “Your loss, cuties.” They moved away from the table, leaving the girls alone. The other girls turned to look at Haruka, seeming to know something Rinya didn’t. She studied the normally cool and collected Vice President and noticed the black smudges under her eyes, the way her lips were pressed together tightly, the stiffness in her movements. Just little things; most people wouldn’t even notice them but Rinya had been watching people so long that to her the signs were obvious. 

“Let’s get out of here,” Mizuki announced. “Time to show Orihara-chan where girls like us really like to hang.”

“Don’t worry, it’s not as bad as Mizuki makes it sound,” Shu replied as she and Miyu slid out of their seats. 

“How did I make it sound bad at all?” Mizuki scoffed as she grabbed her purse and headed toward the door. 

“You said girls like us. It was implied.”

“Girls like us could mean a lot of things. Like being the prettiest, most fashionable Student Council in all of Ikebukuro.”

“Also the only Student Council that is almost entirely girls,” Miyu added cheerfully. 

Haruka followed the other girls, silent as they bickered. Rinya fell in step beside Haruka, watching her with wide, curious eyes. As soon as they were outside the cafe, Haruka was digging her smokes out of the purse and lighting up. 

They didn’t have far to go before Mizuki was leading them down a back alley and turning into a doorway that led down to a small izakaya. Izaya glanced around at the mostly empty bar, smirking at Mizuki. “It looks exactly as bad as it sounded.”

“Be polite, Orihara,” Mizuki warned with a vicious grin. “The owner’s a friend of my mom and he looks the other way when we come in.”

“Looks the other way when you drink too?” Izaya asked.

“Exactly.”

As Mizuki led them to a booth in the back a young woman greeted them with a smile and a tray of drinks. Rinya stared at the sake cup that had been deposited in front of her, nose wrinkling at the smell. Haruka slid into the booth beside her and reached for her cup, downing it in a single motion. Rinya reached for her own cup and pressed the rim to her lips, following Haruka’s lead. The sake burned all the way down, warming her chest and leaving her coughing and blinking. This earned a small smile from Haruka as she refilled her own cup, the first reaction from her that wasn’t icy silence.

“So?” Mizuki asked Haruka as the server came by with plates of typical izakaya foods; yakitori, takoyaki, ebi fry, tempura, gyoza, kara-age, edamame and an entire plate of tamagoyaki. Rinya stared at the food in surprise but the other girls seemed to have expected it and were helping themselves so she followed their lead.

“She seemed the same,” Haruka spoke after downing a second cup of sake. “But the doctors said she’s getting weaker. They say she needs another blood transfusion. They suggested transferring her to an acute care facility but it would cost more.” Rinya’s eyes widened at Haruka’s announcement but she kept silent, sipping the hot sake and snacking on the food. “I don’t know if-” Haruka paused, expression twisting into a sneer. “He doesn’t care about her. He won’t pay. This isn’t the first time they’ve suggested it.”

“Man, he’s such a piece of shit,” Shu spoke with a scowl.

“I’m sorry, Haru-chan,” Miyu spoke softly.

Haruka shrugged, reaching for the bottle. “It is what it is.”

“Your mother…?” Rinya asked quietly and Haruka nodded. “Oh.” 

“I’m sorry, Haruka-san, but I don’t think the betting ring will be enough,” Taka replied matter-of-factly.

“I know,” Haruka replied. “My apologies, we were supposed to be discussing the Spring Festival today. Last year was a disaster but Dougen is refusing to cancel it.” Rinya watched Haruka as she changed the subject, covering up her distress with the return of her business-like demeanour. The other girls let Haruka retreat, turning their attention to the much less interesting discussion of their Student Council responsibilities. 

A few cups of sake and a lot of boring ideas later Rinya leaned forward. “A casino.”

Mizuki snorted. “Dougen’ll never let us get away with that.”

“I bet he would.” Rinya pressed, turning his gaze to Haruka. “If he got a cut.”

“After last year’s mess, this is just more trouble,” Shu argued, shaking her head.

“It’s just kids playing games. And all you have to do is rig the games. Most of them are too stupid to even suspect the games could be rigged.”

“Sounds like you’re talking from experience,” Taka observed.

“I am. The biology club ran a fundraiser last year.” 

Haruka gazed at Rinya thoughtfully. “You might be onto something.” Rinya brightened at Haruka’s acknowledgement. “I’ll think about it. We can talk more tomorrow. It’s getting late and I need to get home.”

The girls parted ways outside the izakaya. Shu, Miyu and Mizuki headed east while Haruka and Rinya lived in the opposite direction. Haruka glanced at Rinya as they walked together, noting the slight sway in the younger girl’s steps. Perhaps they shouldn’t have let her drink.

“What gave you the idea of a casino?” She asked and Rinya smirked.

“You need money. A casino is good money. Gambling is always profitable for the house, even without rigging the games. Most people know that so they aren’t surprised when they lose and the adrenaline rush they get from taking the risk keeps them happy and eager to continue to play.” Rinya’s words slurred a bit as she spoke excitedly. “There are so many ways that you can hide the gambling.”

“How do you know so much about gambling?” Haruka asked, curious.

“I read about the psychology of it in a book I have on addiction. There is an entire section on adrenaline addictions and the various ways that humans engage in them. Gambling is one of the less dangerous ones. It also talks about fighting or physical activities like sky diving or cliff jumping. There’s this whole counter-intuitive way that humans behave. Instincts tell us not to do these things but the high that some people get from the adrenaline is enough to drive them to do it anyway.”

“Your psychology book taught you about gambling?” Haruka asked with amusement at the way the young raven would flit from topic to topic.

“No…” Rinya paused, collecting her thoughts. “I was interested in it because of that book so I started researching. That’s why I started the betting ring. Compared to your operation, mine barely scratches the surface, though.” Rinya gazed at Haruka with open admiration. “You must learn so much more about people.”

Haruka gave her an amused look. “I don’t do it for the same reason as you.”

“What a waste,” Rinya exclaimed mournfully.

“If you’re that curious, why don’t you take over?”

Rinya’s eyes lit up. “You’d let me manage your gambling ring?”

Haruka shrugged. “You did say you wanted to learn.”

Rinya grinned and clapped her hands in excitement. “Thank you, senpai.”

Haruka slowed as they approached her house, noting the presence of a conspicuous black sedan parked on the street. Rinya looked at her, then the car but before she could ask about Haruka’s reaction, a man appeared at the gate. Haruka grew tense, lips curving into a sneer of disgust as Asuki Yahiko turned to look at her. He cast a lecherous gaze over both the girls before focusing on Haruka.

“What good timing, Haruka. I had just stopped by to invite you out for dinner. Is this one of your school friends? She looks a bit young.”

“No, thank you,” Haruka replied immediately, her tone ice cold. “I already have plans.” 

Rinya stared at the man with venom in her gaze, bristling at the way he had leered at them. Her lips curved up into a smirk. “And you look a bit old to be hitting on teenagers.”

Yahiko chuckled, too assured of his own importance to notice the aura of aggression around Rinya. “Don’t worry, I’m not into girls with no tits.” He took a step toward them and Rinya reached for her knife but Haruka grabbed her hand, stopping her. 

“Mori,” Haruka called to one of her family’s guards on the other side of the gate. “I need a car.”

Mori opened the gate and stepped through, glancing at the girls then at Yahiko. “Of course, Shiki-san.” He moved to stand beside the girls, continuing to watch Yahiko as he called for a driver to bring a car around. Yahiko sneered at them then turned away, walking back to his car.

“I’ll be seeing you soon, Haruka.” He called to her as he slipped into the backseat. She stared at the car with hatred, waiting for it to pull away before letting Rinya’s hand go. 

“Mori, please make sure my friend gets home safely.” She told the guard as a car pulled up to the curb. “Goodnight, Orihara-chan.” Haruka left her there with the yakuza, disappearing behind the gate. Rinya stared after Haruka, frowning.

“Pardon me, Miss?” The driver called to her. “Where can I take you?”

Rinya stared at the black sedan for a long, silent moment, then glanced back at Mori who was still standing patiently beside her. “I don’t need a ride, thank you.” She replied then burst into a sprint, cutting across the street and disappearing down a nearby back alley. Mori stared after the strange girl with a frown.


End file.
